


Telling Ruby

by Crowgirl



Series: Strange Mechanicals [4]
Category: Murdoch Mysteries
Genre: Coming Out, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Not Beta Read, Unconventional Families, Unconventional Relationship, Unorthodox Marriages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 20:26:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11882166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowgirl/pseuds/Crowgirl
Summary: Now that Ruby is actually here, Julia finds she isn’t nervous at all.





	1. Chapter 1

‘Ruby!’ Julia gives her sister a hug before she can even set down her case and Ruby returns it energetically.

‘I thought I’d never get here,’ Ruby says as she steps back and puts down her small travelling case. ‘It seemed like we were waiting forever just outside of town. I could almost see _this_ house from there!’

Julia motions to the maid who closes the front door and moves quietly to pick up Ruby’s case. ‘The garden room, please, Maria.’

‘Yes’m.’ Maria bobs and disappears up the stairs.

Ruby unpins her hat with a sigh, thrusting the pin back into the light straw, and Julia takes it, holding it for a minute to admire the stylish turn of the brim.

‘New York,’ Ruby says, in answer to the question Julia hasn’t asked. ‘I can get you one to match, if you like.’

‘No -- straw’s never really suited me.’ Julia puts the hat carefully on the hall table and draws Ruby’s hand through the crook of her arm, leading her across the hall and into the wide, cool parlor.

‘Oh---’ Ruby drops into a broad easy chair with a sigh, undoing the buttons of her short jacket. ‘What was going on at the station? Is William here? I thought he might know.’

Julia takes a seat at the end of the settee closest to Ruby. ‘You probably just missed seeing him.’

Ruby laughs. ‘I might have known! Arresting someone?’

‘Someone trying to get out of town, I think.’ Julia glosses over the details, knowing the case itself wouldn’t interest Ruby. It isn’t juicy enough for her to write up -- merely a bank clerk caught forging drafts. 

Ruby throws up her hands. ‘He couldn’t even be thoughtful enough to have something good for me to write up! What a brother-in-law you picked for me, Julia.’ She sits forward in her chair and eases her jacket off her shoulders, immediately starting to cuff up the sleeves of her light blouse. ‘But where is he?’

‘With James, I imagine. Thank you, Maria--’ Julia stands up to take the tea tray from the maid who bobs again, smiles, and disappears back out into the hall. ‘Tea, Ruby?’

‘Oh, yes, please. Good and sweet; you know how I like it.’

‘I ordered in extra sugar, just for you.’ Julia makes up the cups, hands Ruby hers, and sits back on the settee with a sigh. She glances up at the clock -- half-past four; Elizabeth will be home at five. 

Ruby takes a sip and hums approval. ‘Raspberry leaves in the tea?’

'Mm-hmm -- they’re so nice in the hot weather.’ Julia takes a sip herself.

Ruby leans forward and eyes the fruit and cakes on the tray, then selects a slice of melon and bites into it. Sighing with satisfaction, she leans back in the chair and catches a stray drip of juice with her tongue. ‘Oh, you always have such goodies, Julia -- but where did you say William was? Not still scared of me, is he?’

Julia laughs and puts her teacup down on the table, curling a foot up under herself and leaning more comfortably against the cushions. ‘I don’t think he’s been scared of you since he saw you get tipsy at our wedding.’

Ruby finishes the last of the melon and licks the juice off her fingers. ‘Well, you shouldn’t have had such good champagne! What’s a girl to do? Reporters don’t get that kind of thing often!’

‘Often enough, I hear.’

Ruby makes a dismissive gesture. ‘Oh, you learn to write it up well -- but, really, Juls, it’s hardly paying these days. Either I’ve got to find something _big_ or --’ She shakes her head and takes a sip of tea. ‘Perhaps I’ll take to writing novels. Change all the names and call it fiction.’

‘You should talk to George Crabtree.’

‘Who?’ 

‘William’s second -- he’s written -- three novels, now, I think.’ Julia waves a hand at the bookshelf by the window. ‘We’ve got copies if you want to read them.’

‘Any good?’

Julia hesitates, then laughs. ‘No -- not really. But he gets an immense amount of enjoyment out of writing them. And I’m sure he’d talk your ear off if you let him.’

Ruby stretches herself in the chair, wriggling with a little cat-like motion that Julia remembers from when she was a child. Their mother had always protested -- _Really, Ruby, can’t you even_ sit _still?_

Ruby eases down against the broad back of the wing chair until she’s almost on the verge of sliding off the seat, stretching her legs in front of her until her neat boots are hidden under the tea table. ‘Well, if I get bored, I’ll look him up. When are we having dinner? I know it’s rude to ask, but I’m _starving._ When William comes in, I imagine?’

‘Oh, he won’t be back tonight. But we’ll eat at seven. If you’d like something before then--’

‘Not be back tonight?’ Ruby’s eyes sharpen. ‘I thought you said it was just a simple arrest.’

‘It was -- he called me from the station.’ Julia leans back against the cushions. Now that Ruby is actually _here,_ she finds she isn’t nervous at all. It’s always been her sister flying back in from exotic spaces with tall tales to tell; now Julia feels it’s finally her turn. And it’s _fun_ to tease Ruby. It always has been, but this time Julia feels sure that Ruby can’t possibly guess the punchline.

Ruby puts her cup down on the table at her elbow and leans forward, her expression sobering. ‘Julia -- you’re -- you’re not having -- trouble again. Are you?’

Julia laughs; she can’t help it, despite knowing that Ruby’s concern is quite genuine. But she has a sudden vision of herself with Darcy and-- ‘No. No, not in the slightest.’

Ruby looks at her for a minute, clearly trying to read her expression, then just as clearly gives up, dropping back in her chair and spreading her arms wide. ‘Then _where_ is my adoring brother-in-law?’

‘I told you: he’s with-- oh, Elizabeth--’ Julia stands up as Elizabeth comes in, taking off her hat and dropping it on a chair as she goes by. 

Elizabeth comes directly across to Julia, taking her hand and giving it a firm squeeze. Julia gives her a discreet kiss on the cheek, then sits back down, still holding her hand. ‘You’re early.’

‘I let the last class go before their time,’ Elizabeth says, letting go of Julia’s hand and turning to pour herself tea. ‘Such a lovely day -- it seemed a shame to keep them reciting bones and muscles until it was too late to enjoy it.’ She drops a slice of lemon in her cup and sits down beside Julia, turning a warm smile on Ruby. ‘And you must be Julia’s sister.’ She leans forward, extending a hand which Ruby clasps. ‘I’ve so looked forward to meeting you.’ 

Julia looks at Ruby and bites back the desire to laugh; her sister’s face is a _study,_ as much as it had been when she was a little girl and Uncle Edward had offered her a choice of birthday presents: a twenty-dollar bill or a new desk set, complete with a very grown-up pen-and-inkstand. As Julia remembers, Ruby had taken a careful survey of the set, then accepted the twenty dollars with polite thanks, and promptly used it to buy herself a _better_ desk set. Uncle Edward had nearly laughed himself sick.

Ruby’s eyes dart between Julia and Elizabeth and Julia knows she can see where Elizabeth’s free hand has come to rest on the edge of Julia’s skirt. Ruby’s eyes rest there for a moment, then she looks back up at Julia. ‘James, you said. That would be -- Pendrick, I imagine?’

‘Yes.’ Julia sits back in her corner of the settee, letting her hand come to rest over Elizabeth's, stroking her thumb over the rise of Elizabeth’s wristbone. 

Ruby’s eyes snap back down to their hands and she makes as if to speak, then starts to laugh. She tries to stop then gives up, gives herself over to it, falling back in her chair and letting her hands drop limply into her lap. 

Julia gives Elizabeth a quick sideways glance and Elizabeth smiles, sipping her tea calmly. Since this method of -- well -- _explaining_ matters to Ruby had been Elizabeth's idea, Julia feels it's only fair that she enjoy it. Judging from the wicked glint in Elizabeth's eyes, she is.

Eventually, Ruby manages to draw in a steady breath, then rubs a hand over her eyes and pushes herself up. Her cheeks are still pink with laughter when she leans forward, holding her hand out to Julia. ‘My darling sister, I believe you have managed to top _every_ trick I ever pulled.’


	2. Chapter 2

Across town, William Murdoch pushes open a bedroom door and goes inside quietly. James is asleep, half-curled on his side, a light blanket drawn up over his feet. 

When William leans over to kiss him awake, James smiles without opening his eyes and turns over, reaching up to rest a hand against William’s cheek. ‘You’re late.’

‘So I see.’

‘I thought you were having tea with your sister-in-law.’ James yawns extravagantly and stretches. William would accuse him of posing -- the late afternoon light coming in the bedroom window turns his skin to a light gold that reminds William of nothing so much as an expensive box of candy but, he knows, would be much more to his taste.

‘No, remember? Elizabeth’s great scheme?’ William nudges at James’ hip until he obligingly slides aside and William can sit on the edge of the bed.

James laughs. ‘Oh, that’s right -- I forgot the grand plan. I wonder how it’s going.’

‘Well, I haven’t heard the fire engines go by,’ William says, sliding his hand from James’ hip to the rise of his ribs, then flattening his palm over the softness of his abdomen. 

‘That’s good.’ James stretches again and kicks away the blanket, then reaches up to ruffle his fingers through William’s hair, teasing the wave back into it. ‘I was rather looking forward to having you here tonight.’

William smiles and leans forward to kiss him. ‘I don’t see anything to get in the way of that.’


End file.
